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Check out The Credit Guru’s website and you’ll find several enticing demands: Debt Settled for Less than You owe and Better Credit in Just Three Months.
If it sounds too good to be true, it just might be. Sadly, such claims rarely come to fruition, a lesson many customers learn the hard way after losing hundreds or thousands of dollars in unnecessary fees.
If complaints like these make you think of hiring The Credit Guru to fix your credit, read our review which breaks down the good and the bad by evaluating service, price, reputation, value, and more.
Benefits explained
- First free consultation: The initial Credit Guru telephone consultation is free, but you will need to provide your own credit reports.
- Two service package options: Customers can choose the package and price range to suit their needs.
- Offers several discounts: Discounts are available for couples, military service members, and client referrals.
- Dedicated Case Management Team: Every credit repair customer has a personal service team assigned to their case.
- Personalized action plan available: Customers of The Credit Guru who choose the premium service package can benefit from a personalized credit repair plan to help them increase their score from several points of view.
Disadvantages Explained
- Expensive fees: Monthly prices start at $ 89.00, and that doesn’t include the $ 149.95 setup fee.
- Makes questionable claims: The Credit Guru’s marketing language includes a few claims that we have found to be potentially misleading.
- No teaching material: Many credit repair companies now offer libraries of free resources to help customers improve their finances, but The Credit Guru has not made a significant investment in consumer education.
- Lack of digital tools: You won’t find modern conveniences like an online portal, chat, or mobile app with The Credit Guru.
Types of services
The Credit Guru offers two service packages at different prices. Where most competitors create a strong distinction between their plans, however, The Credit Guru doesn’t offer much more to those who are upgrading.
Regular service
All things considered, The Credit Guru’s regular service package is no more and no less than what you would expect from basic credit repair. The plan includes copies of your credit reports, unlimited monthly credit disputes, plus phone and email from a dedicated case management team. Monthly account reviews are available, although the customer should request them.
Premium service
Credit Guru’s premium service package offers everything included in the regular package with three key differences:
- Credit disputes are processed every two weeks instead of once per 30 day billing period.
- Monthly account reviews are performed automatically without the customer needing to request them.
- Each customer receives a personalized credit improvement plan that presents them with additional ways to create credit outside of the litigation process.
Optional add-ons
The only credit repair services offered by The Credit Guru are included in the two packages listed above. No optional add-ons like credit monitoring are available to further customize the plans.
Customer service
Credit Guru may be one of the oldest credit repair companies, but the company hasn’t done much to keep up with industry trends. Many credit repair companies have embraced new digital technologies in recent years, providing customers with features like online account management, online chat, and even mobile apps.
Customers who register with The Credit Guru will find themselves limited to traditional email and telephone services. While those who prefer a more personalized experience may be perfectly satisfied with their dedicated case management team, tech-savvy clients accustomed to faster service might end up feeling frustrated.
Much of The Credit Guru’s website appears to be out of date; we found several pages and blog posts that had not been updated since 2017 or before. But the information on the site raises a few red flags due to some troubling claims by the company.
For example, The Credit Guru uses language claiming that the credit bureaus “don’t want you to use a credit repair company,” which is not correct since the credit bureaus have nothing to gain from refusing. credit disputes. There is also a particularly concerning claim that paying off overdue bills will not repair your credit, suggesting that a better option is to ask the Credit Guru to settle the debts on your behalf for less money.
Credit repair companies sometimes offer to settle their customers’ debts if they cannot be disputed as inaccurate. Those who agree do not always realize the potential negative consequences of the debt settlement process. In some cases, clients end up owing more than they started due to the high fees involved. Debt settlement can also affect your credit score more than if you simply took the time to pay off the debt in full.
Company reputation
There is not a lot of information available on The Credit Guru regarding customer reviews. Although the company has a C + rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), it’s hard to say what that rating is based on because the company has not registered any reviews or complaints. Nothing is registered with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
If you have a complaint about the services of a credit repair company, you can file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or call 877-FTC-HELP.
Duration of contract
Credit Guru services do not require a long term contract. Customers are billed monthly and can cancel at any time. The company says most customers retain their services for an average of three to eight months.
Unfortunately, The Credit Guru does not offer a money back guarantee if you do not see any results after paying for the services. Their refund policy is quite strict; you will need to apply for one within the first five days for your charges to be reimbursed, which is only two days more than the legal minimum under the Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA).
By law, credit repair companies are not allowed to charge customers for services that have not yet been performed. If a credit repair service asks for payment up front, find a more reputable company to work with.
Cost
Considering the services included in each package, The Credit Guru’s fees are exceptionally high. Regular service costs $ 149.95 up front and $ 89.00 per month. For the premium service, you will be billed an installation fee of $ 199.95, plus $ 129.00 per month. Most credit repair companies with fees in this range include a much wider range of services, such as credit monitoring, identity theft insurance, and other added value.
A positive note is that The Credit Guru is good at offering discounts. Couples who sign up together will pay just $ 269.95 in combined setup fees for the regular service plan and $ 369.90 for the premium service, a discount of around $ 30 in each case. Savings are also available to military personnel and those who refer another customer.
The competition: the credit guru vs. the credit pros
The competitor of the same name, The Credit Pros, is a credit repair company that also rates its services quite high, but not to the same extent as The Credit Guru.
But The Credit Pros’ entry-level plan, priced at $ 119.00 up front and $ 69 per month, offers a range of services comparable to The Credit Guru’s more expensive plan which costs almost double. The benefits of credit also include credit monitoring, debt management, and identity theft protection, none of which are even offered by The Credit Guru. If you spend a little more on The Credit Pros’ premium package, you also get discounts on prescription drugs. It’s easy to see that The Credit Pros is the winner between the two.
| The credit guru | The advantages of credit | |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation year | 1993 | 2009 |
| Offered services | Credit repair, financial planning | Credit repair, monitoring, identity theft protection, financial planning |
| Customer service contact points | Phone, e-mail | Phone, email, customer portal |
| Up-front costs | $ 149.95 to $ 199.95 | $ 119.00 to $ 149.00 |
| Monthly fee | $ 89.00 to $ 129.00 | $ 69.00 to $ 149.00 |
Verdict
Given The Credit Guru’s outdated tools and limited services, it’s hard to see why anyone should pay the company’s high prices. Much more affordable options are available from competitors, many of which include even more valuable services. Even though value was not a factor, we are concerned about some of the misleading claims the Credit Guru uses to make their services more appealing to potential clients.
How we review credit repair companies
To help consumers avoid the pitfalls of the credit repair industry, we screen credit repair companies using a rigorous set of criteria. Our quantitative scoring system analyzes each company’s plan offerings, cost structure, customer service, and reputation within the industry. We assign points to each company based on its performance in each area to calculate an overall score on a scale of zero to five.
Learn more: Read our full credit repair review methodology here.
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